Sewing machine for sewing patterns

ABSTRACT

A sewing machine for automatically producing a stitch pattern each having the same contour as that of a pattern made of a plurality of straight and curved line segment rails arranged on a supporting frame which can move vertically and horizontally and carries a fabric to be sewn in tension, wherein the transmission of the movement of a guide pulley riding upon the rails, disposed within a detection box for detecting the curved line segment portions of a pattern is made independent of the transmission of a force driving the guide pulley and is carried away in synchronism through chains and chain wheels of all the same pitch diameters to an arm and a bed of the sewing machine which corresponding movement is made each independent of the oscillation of a needle bar within The arm and of the driving of a feed dog within the bed respectively to follow exactly the contour of the pattern.

United States Patent Iwase [151 3,677,207 [451 July 18,1972

[ SEWING MACHINE FOR SEWING PATTERNS Hldeo lwase, 27-8,1-chome, Kamesawa, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, Japan [22] Filed: April 7, 1970 [21] vAppl.No.: 26,387

[72] Inventor:

3,046,921 7/ 1962 Schwarzberger ..l 12/ 102 X 3,515,080 6/1970 Ramsey ..1 12/102 X Primary Examiner-James R. Boler Attorney-Cushman, Darby & Cushman [5 7] ABSTRACT A sewing machine for automatically producing a stitch pattern each having the same contour as that of a pattern made of a plurality of straight and curved line segment rails arranged on a supporting frame which can move vertically and horizontally and carries a fabric to be sewn in tension, wherein the transmission of the movement of a guide pulley riding upon the rails, disposed within a detection box for detecting the curved line segment portions of a pattern is made independent of the transmission of a force driving the guide pulley and is carried away in synchronism through chains and chain wheels of all the same pitch diameters to an arm and a bed of the sewing machine which corresponding movement is made each independent of the oscillation of a needle bar within The arm and of the driving of a feed dog within the bed respectively to follow exactly the contour of the pattern.

6 Clains, 7 Drawing figures Patented July 18, 1972 3,677,207

6 Sheets-Sheet l FIG-7 INVENTOR.

WJRQW =7 Patented July 18, 1972 3,677,207

6 Sheets-Sheet 2 F l G -2 H 1 I Y 2 I r T E I l i j I INVENTOR.

MW, EQALU v M HTTomUEN Patented July 18, 1972 i 35677207 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG-4 I Patented July 18, 1972 s shoots-521331 5 INVENTQR. M

HTToHA/EYJ Patented July 18, 1972 3,677,207

6 Sheets-Sheet 6 FIG-6M) INVENTOR.

SEWING MACHINE FOR SEWING PATTERNS BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The accompanying drawing illustrates one preferable illustrative embodiment of a sewing machine in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 1 is for explanation of the principle thereof;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view illustrating a pattern made from a plurality of straight and curved line segment rails and fixed upon a pattern plate;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a guide pulley driving force transmission mechanism;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a sewing machine arm;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a sewing machine bed mechanism; and

FIG. 6-A and B are for explanation of continuous stitch patterns produced by the sewing machine of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally a sewing machine for industrial use and more particularly a sewing machine capable of automatically producing stitch patterns each having the same contour as that of a pattern made of a plurality of straight and curved line segment rails.

A first object of the present invention is to provide a sewing machine capable of automatically continuously producing stitch patterns each having the same contour as that of a pattern of the character described above when the sewing machine is once actuated.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a sewing machine in which the rotation of a sewing machine arm of the sewing machine is made independently of the oscillation of a needle bar disposed within the arm so that the arm may be automatically rotated or displaced following the contour of a pattern, thereby automatically continuously producing stitch patterns having the same contours as those of complex patterns each beding made of a plurality of straight and curved line segment rails.

A third object of the present invention is to provide a sewing machine in which the rotation of a sewing machine bed is made independently of the driving of a feed dog within the bed so that the latter may rotate following the contour of a pattern which is made of a plurality of straight and curved line segment rails, thereby automatically continuously producing stitch pattern having the same contour as that of the pattern.

A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a sewing machine in which a detection box for detecting the curved line segment portion of a pattern having a complicated contour and being made of a plurality of straight and curved line segment rails has a guide pulley which rides upon said rails and the transmission of the force for driving the guide pulley is made independent of the transmission of rotation of the detection box so as to securely rotating both of the sewing machine arm and bed through an angle equal to the angle of rotation of the detection box in synchronism therewith, so that the detection box can detect the curved line portions of the pattern with a higher degree of accuracy, thereby producing the stitch pattern having the contour equal to that of the pattern.

A fifth object of the present invention is to provide a sewing machine capable of preventing the overlap of the stitches even when the stitches are made in accordance with the complicated curved line portions of a pattern contour.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of one illustrative embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, a first pair of guide rails l are laid upon plate-like supporting members 2 which in turn are securely held in stationary position upon the ground surface G by suitable means (not shown). As shown in FIG. 2, the first pair of guide rails 1 are spaced apart from each other by a suitable distance. Upon the first pair of guide rails I ride guide rolls 3 which in turn carry a second pair of guide rails 4 at right angles with respect to the first pair of guide rails 1. Each of the second pair of guide rails 4' is angle-shaped in cross section and upon the upstanding edges 4' of the guide rails 4 ride guide rolls 6 which in turn carry a frame 5, which therefor can move vertically and horizontally in FIG. 2. Upon the frame 5 is supported a pattern plate 8 having a rail pattern 7 having a complicated contour as shown in FIG. 2 and being made of a plurality of straight and curved line segment rails.

The pattern 7 has a contour consisting of the combinations of straight line segments 7 and curved line segments 7, but it is to be understood that any pattern having a more complex contour may be used in the present invention. The supporting frame 5 is channel-shaped in cross section and its upper side edges are bent inwardly so as to define a rectangular opening 9. At the side edges of the bent portion 5' of the supporting frame 5' are arranged fabric tension means (not shown) for holding the fabric 10 to be sewn in tension in the opening 9.

A guide pulley 11 rotatably carried by a shaft 12 is riding upon the rail pattern 7 as shown in FIG. 3. The shaft 12 is fixed to a detection box 13 so as to extend thereacross and is transmitted with the driving force through a transmission gear mechanism 14 to which is transmitted the driving force from a driving shaft 17 through a spur gear 18 thereof in mesh with a spur gear 16 carried by a rotary shaft 15. Therefore, it will be seen that the guide pulley 11 is rotated so as to advance the rail pattern 7, whereby the supporting frame 5 is displaced through the first and second pairs of guide rails l and 4 following the contour or profile of the rail-shaped pattern.

A sleeve 19 is fitted over the shaft 17 and into the detection box 13 at the lower end of the sleeve 19. A chain wheel 20 is securely fixed to the detection box 13 and is drivingly coupled through a chain 21 to another chain wheel 22 which is carried by a rotary shaft 24 in a gear box 23. The rotary shaft 24 also carried two chain wheels 25 and 26 having the same pitch diameter as that of the chain wheel 22. The chain wheel 25 is drivingly coupled through a chain 27 to a chain wheel 30 carried by a shaft 29' of a bed 29 (See FIG. 5). The chain wheel 26 is coupled through a chain 31 to a chain wheel 33 carried by a shaft 32 of an arm 32'(See FIG. 4). Both of the chain wheels 30 and 33 have the same pitch diameter as that of the chain wheels 20 and 22. Thus, the movement detected by the detection box 13 is transmitted to both of the head 29 and arm 32 through the above described chain wheel and chain power transmission mechanism.

A driving pulley 34 is joumalled upon a journal member 36 through a bearing 35 and'is also securely fixed to the end of the shaft 17. The journal member 36 is supported by retaining members 38 and 39 through an intermediate member 37. The retaining member 39 is fixed to a supporting plate 40 which in turn is fixed to a frame 41 fixed to the gear box 23. Reference numeral 40' designates a journal while 40", a stopper. The sleeve 19 is rotatable relative to the supporting plate 40.

The driving pulley 34 is normally biased downwardly by a spring in FIG. 3. The driving pulley 34 is drivingly coupled to a pulley 44 through a belt 43. The pulley 44 in turn is drivingly coupled to a pulley 43 carried by a driving shaft 47 in the gear box 23 through a gear train 45 and a reduction gear 46. The driving shaft 47 also carries a pulley 49 which in turn is drivingly coupled to a prime mover M through a belt 50 and a variable speed pulley 51.

Chain wheels 53 and 54 are carried by the driving shaft 47. The chain wheel 53 is drivingly coupled to a chain wheel 56 of the bed 29 through a chain 55. The bed 29 is rotatably supported by a frame 58 whose supporting plate 57 is securely fixed to the gear box 23 so that the arm 29 is rotatable as a whole.

A spur gear 59 in coaxial relation with the chain wheel 56 is in mesh with a spur gear 51 carried by a rotary shaft 60 whose rotary motion is transmitted through a gear train 62 to a rotary shaft 64 of a conventional feed dog 63 (See FIG. 5). The chain wheel 54 is drivingly coupled to a chain wheel 66 of the arm 32 through a chain 65. The arm 32 is rotatably fixed through a sleeve 67 to a frame 68 which in turn is securely fixed to the gear box 23. A bearing member 69 is fitted over the sleeve 67 and carries a chain wheel 70 which is drivingly coupled to a chain wheel 71 through a chain 71. The chain wheel 72 is carried by a rotary shaft 74 in an arm box 73. The rotary shaft 74 also carries a bevel gear 75 which is in' mesh with a bevel gear 77 carried by a rotary shaft 76. A worm gear 78 is carried by the rotary shaft 76 is in mesh with a gear 80 of an eccentric cam 79. The free end of an eccentric arm 81 which is actuated by the eccentric cam 79 is coupled to the free end of a pivoting member 83 pivoted by a pivot 82 to the box 73. The eccentric arm 81 is also coupled to a needle bar 84 so that the needle bar 84 is receiprocated to the right or left in FIG. 4 in a well known manner. A cam plate 85 is fixed to the end of the rotary shaft 76 and has an arm 86 eccentrically fixed thereto. The free end of the arm 86 carries the needle bar 84 through a retaining member 87 so that the needle bar 84 may be vertically reciprocated in FIG. 4 in a well known manner. Reference numeral 91 in FIG. 1 designates a member for supporting the arm 32 and absorbing the shock therefrom. The member 91 is supported at its both ends by the gear box 23 and a supporting box 92.

Nextthe mode of operation will be described hereinafter. The fabric 9 to which is attached the stitch pattern is held in tension within the opening 9 of the frame 5. The .motor M is driven by means of an ON-OFF switch not shown so that the rotation of the motor M is transmitted to the driving shaft 47 through the variable speed pulley 51 through the power transmission mechanism 50 and the pulley 49. Upon rotation of the driving shaft 47, the driving pulley 34 is rotated through the pulley 48, the reduction gear 46, the gear train 45, the pulley 44 and the belt 43. The driving pulley 34 causes the rotation of the driving power transmission shaft 17 which in turn rotates the rotary shaft 12 through the spur gear 18 and 16 an the rotary shaft and the gear train 14. Consequently, the guide pulley 11 is rotated so that the rail-shaped pattern 7 is advanced by the first and second pairs of guide rails 1 and 4', whereby the guide pulley 11 is displaced following the contour of the pattern 7. On the other hand, the rotation of the driving shaft 47 is also transmitted to the shaft 64 of the feed dog 63 through the chain wheel 53, the chain wheel 56 of the bed 29, the spur gears 59 and 61, the rotary shaft 60 and the gear train 62, so that the dog 63 is actuated in a well known manner. Furthermore, the rotation of the driving shaft 47 is transmitted to the needle bar 84 through the chain wheel 54, the chain 65,

the chain wheel 66, the chain wheel 70, the chain 71, the chain wheel 72, the rotary shaft 74, the bevel gear train 75 and 77, the rotary shaft 76, the worm gear 78 and the cam plate 85, so that the needle bar is verticallyzoscillated.

Upon actuation of the sewing machine, the guide pulley 11 is displaced following the pattern 7 as described hereinabove, the stitch pattern 89 having the similar contour as that of the pattern 7 is formed upon the fabric 10. This will be described in more detail hereinafter.

When the guidev pulley 11 rides upon the straight line segment portion 7' of the pattern 7', the pulley l1 forces the pattern 7 straightly so that the stitches are formed upon the fabric 10 when the latter is displaced in the same direction. Reference numeral 90 in FIG. 6 designates a lace. When the pulley l1 rides over the curved line section 7 thedetection box 13 displaces itself following the curvature of the curved section 7 so that the displacement is transmitted to the chain wheel 22 carried by the rotary shaft 24 through the chain wheel and the chain 21. Consequently, the rotary shaft 24 is rotated through an angle equal to the angleof rotation of the detection box 13. The displacement of the detection box 13 is also transmitted to the chain wheel 30 of the bed 29 through the chain wheel and the chain 27 and to the chain wheel 33 of the arm 32 through the chain wheels 26 and 31 so that both of the beds 29 and 32 are displaced following the curved linesection 7" whereby the curved stitch pattern is formed (See FIG. 6A and B). Thus, it is seen that the stitch pattern having the same contour to that of the pattern 7 is automatically and continuously produced.

The present invention has been so far described with particular reference to one illustrative embodiment thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected without departing from the true spirit of the present invention as described hereinabove and as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A pattern following sewing machine, comprising:

a stationary frame;

a sewing machine arm, having a needle bar and means for reciprocating said needle bar;

a sewing machine bed having a feed dog, and means for operating the feed dog in a sense to advance fabric engaged by the feed dog during sewing in a direction;

means mounting the sewing machine arm and the feed dog on the stationary frame in such relation that fabric engaged by the feed dog during sewing may be stitched by the needle bar as said needle bar is reciprocated, and said direction of advance is generally normal to the reciprocation of said needle bar; said mounting means further mounting the sewing arm and feed dog for rotation about an axis paralleling the reciprocation of said needle bar;

a movable supporting frame adapted to be moved in two mutually perpendicular directions in a plane normal to the reciprocation of said needle bar, said movable supporting frame having means for supporting fabric to be stitched between the sewing machine arm and the sewing machine bed;

pattern plate means including a design arrayed in a plurality of directions in a plane, said pattern plate means being mounted for movement coordinately with said movable supporting frame;

stationarily positioned pattern plate follower means having a detector engageable with the design on said pattern plate means, said detector being drivable against said pattern plate means for tracing the design to provide an output indicative of the direction the design is headed at the instantaneous location of the detector on the design;

first driving means for coordinately:

a. reciprocating said needle bar;

b. operating said feed dog in said sense to advance fabric;

and

c. driving said detector against said pattern plate means for tracing the design, thereby moving said supporting frame in said two mutually perpendicular directions in said plane normal to the reciprocation of said needle bar; and second driving means, independent of said first driving means, powered by said output of said de-. tector, for coordinately rotating said sewing machine arm and said feed dog in instantaneous response to changes in the direction said design is tending where said design is being traced by said detector.

2. The apparatus of Claim 22 wherein the first driving means comprises:

a first rotatable element connected to said means for reciprocat-ing said needle bar;

a second rotatable element connected to said means for operating the feed dog;

a third rotatable element connected to said detector for rotating said detector against said pattern plate means;

a shaft;

a motor rotating said shaft;

fourth, fifth and sixth rotatable elements fixed on said shaft;

and

first, second and third endless rotation transmitting elements respectively entrained about said first and fourth, said second and fifth, and said third and sixth rotatable elements;

wherein the design on said pattern plate means extends in a third dimension from said plane in which said design is arrayed;

wherein the detector comprises a grooved wheel configured to ride upon said design;

and wherein the movable frame is constrained to move only bidirectionally, by being mounted upon two mutually perpendicular pairs of rails.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the second driving means comprises:

a seventh rotatable element connected to said pattern plate follower means for coordinate angular movement in instantaneous response to changes in the direction said design is tending where said design is being traced by said detector;

an eighth rotatable element connected to the sewing machine arm for rotating the sewing machine arm with respect to said stationary frame;

a ninth rotatable element connected to the feed dog for rotat-ing the feed dog with respect to said stationary frame;

a rotatable shaft;

tenth, eleventh and twelfth rotatable elements fixed on said shaft; and

fourth, fifth and sixth endless rotation transmitting elements respectively entrained about the seventh and tenth, the eighth and eleventh, and the ninth and twelfth rotatable elements.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 including gear reduction means incorporated between said third and said sixth rotatable elements.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said detector, said needle bar and said feed dog are disposed on a common axis.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the movable supporting frame includes a framing element defining an opening among said framing elements, and fabric tension means for securing fabric in tension upon said framing elements, to be stitched within said opening. 

1. A pattern following sewing machine, comprising: a stationary frame; a sewing machine arm, having a needle bar and means for reciprocating said needle bar; a sewing machine bed having a feed dog, and means for operating the feed dog in a sense to advance fabric engaged by the feed dog during sewing in a direction; means mounting the sewing machine arm and the feed dog on the stationary frame in such relation that fabric engaged by the feed dog during sewing may be stitched by the needle bar as said needle bar is reciprocated, and said direction of advance is generally normal to the reciprocation of said needle bar; said mounting means further mounting the sewing arm and feed dog for rotation about an axis paralleling the reciprocation of said needle bar; a movable supporting frame adapted to be moved in two mutually perpendicular directions in a plane normal to the reciprocation of said needle bar, said movable supporting frame having means for supporting fabric to be stitched between the sewing machine arm and the sewing machine bed; pattern plate means including a design arrayed in a plurality of directions in a plane, said pattern plate means being mounted for movement coordinately with said movable supporting frame; statIonarily positioned pattern plate follower means having a detector engageable with the design on said pattern plate means, said detector being drivable against said pattern plate means for tracing the design to provide an output indicative of the direction the design is headed at the instantaneous location of the detector on the design; first driving means for coordinately: a. reciprocating said needle bar; b. operating said feed dog in said sense to advance fabric; and c. driving said detector against said pattern plate means for tracing the design, thereby moving said supporting frame in said two mutually perpendicular directions in said plane normal to the reciprocation of said needle bar; and second driving means, independent of said first driving means, powered by said output of said detector, for coordinately rotating said sewing machine arm and said feed dog in instantaneous response to changes in the direction said design is tending where said design is being traced by said detector.
 2. The apparatus of Claim 22 wherein the first driving means comprises: a first rotatable element connected to said means for reciprocat-ing said needle bar; a second rotatable element connected to said means for operating the feed dog; a third rotatable element connected to said detector for rotating said detector against said pattern plate means; a shaft; a motor rotating said shaft; fourth, fifth and sixth rotatable elements fixed on said shaft; and first, second and third endless rotation transmitting elements respectively entrained about said first and fourth, said second and fifth, and said third and sixth rotatable elements; wherein the design on said pattern plate means extends in a third dimension from said plane in which said design is arrayed; wherein the detector comprises a grooved wheel configured to ride upon said design; and wherein the movable frame is constrained to move only bidirectionally, by being mounted upon two mutually perpendicular pairs of rails.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the second driving means comprises: a seventh rotatable element connected to said pattern plate follower means for coordinate angular movement in instantaneous response to changes in the direction said design is tending where said design is being traced by said detector; an eighth rotatable element connected to the sewing machine arm for rotating the sewing machine arm with respect to said stationary frame; a ninth rotatable element connected to the feed dog for rotat-ing the feed dog with respect to said stationary frame; a rotatable shaft; tenth, eleventh and twelfth rotatable elements fixed on said shaft; and fourth, fifth and sixth endless rotation transmitting elements respectively entrained about the seventh and tenth, the eighth and eleventh, and the ninth and twelfth rotatable elements.
 4. The apparatus of claim 2 including gear reduction means incorporated between said third and said sixth rotatable elements.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said detector, said needle bar and said feed dog are disposed on a common axis.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the movable supporting frame includes a framing element defining an opening among said framing elements, and fabric tension means for securing fabric in tension upon said framing elements, to be stitched within said opening. 